Rates of chemical and silicate weathering of the Deccan Trap basalts, India, have been determined through major ion measurements in the headwaters of the Krishna and the Bhima rivers, their tributaries, and the west flowing streams of the Western Ghats, all of which flow almost entirely through the Deccan basalts.
Samples (n = 63) for this study were collected from 23 rivers during two consecutive monsoon seasons of 2001 and 2002. The Total dissolved solid (TDS) in the samples range from 27 to 640 mg l−1. The rivers draining the Western Ghats that flow through patches of cation deficient lateritic soils have lower TDS (average: 74 mg l−1), whereas the Bhima (except at origin) and its tributaries that seem to receive Na, Cl, and SO4 from saline soils and anthropogenic inputs have values in excess of 170 mg l−1. Many of the rivers sampled are supersaturated with respect to calcite. The chemical weathering rates (CWR) of “selected” basins, which exclude rivers supersaturated in calcite and which have high Cl and SO4, are in range of not, vert, similar3 to not, vert, similar60 t km−2 y−1. This yields an area-weighted average CWR of not, vert, similar16 t km−2 y−1 for the Deccan Traps. This is a factor of not, vert, similar2 lower than that reported for the Narmada-Tapti-Wainganga (NTW) systems draining the more northern regions of the Deccan. The difference can be because of (i) natural variations in CWR among the different basins of the Deccan, (ii) “selection” of river basin for CWR calculation in this study, and (iii) possible contribution of major ions from sources, in addition to basalts, to rivers of the northern Deccan Traps.
Silicate weathering rates (SWR) in the selected basins calculated using dissolved Mg as an index varies between not, vert, similar3 to not, vert, similar60 t km−2 y−1, nearly identical to their CWR. The Ca/Mg and Na/Mg in these rivers, after correcting for rain input, are quite similar to those in average basalts of the region, suggesting near congruent release of Ca, Mg, and Na from basalts to rivers. Comparison of calculated and measured silicate-Ca in these rivers indicates that at most not, vert, similar30% of Ca can be of nonsilicate origin, a likely source being carbonates in basalts and sediments.